Assasination
by SofiaChanson
Summary: After losing all but one of her memories, 15-year-old Rae decides to take the Hunter Exam in order to regain them. However, what will happen once she meets a certain company, and discovers her true heritage; a secret that will change her life forever? OC, No Pairings. SUMMARY CHANGED!
1. Chapter 1: RE: The Hunter Exam

**_Chapter 1 REVISED: The Hunter Exam : Phase I_**

**_A/N: So. Again, like the perfectionist I am, I have revised and gone over the first chapter ( I re-read it and realised how bad it was XD). The plot remains the same, but the chapters will be longer and the sequence of events is a little different. Not much, though. But from now on, I'll only be posting the revised chapters. So basically, the story will not be progressing until I get to the part where I left off. Sorry about that. :|_**

**_If you want to read the old chapters, just PM me and I'll send it to you! ;)_**

**_Oh and BTW, I've merged the original Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 together before editing. So if you read this one, you can skip the OLD Chapter 2. The chapter names will have REVISED if they are, well, revised. _**

* * *

_**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Hunter X Hunter, but I do own any non-canon characters that pop up every now and then, my OC (Rae), and the plot.**_

* * *

_The room's walls were painted with a thick red paint. A man I didn't recognize lay in front of me, face-down, blood dripping from a wound in his chest._

_My hands felt sticky and dry; I looked down._

_My hands were red. Covered with thick red liquid not different to that on the walls. Cobalt eyes widened. _

_Blood. _

_The remaining Hunter Applicants looked on with profound shock and disgust; one with chocolate brown eyes and black hair was even close to tears. His friends looked on in shock: the man with the glasses was quivering slightly, and a blonde's irises had turned scarlet._

_A man suddenly appeared behind me; a Hunter Examiner._

_I only caught a few words in my panicked state: "Applicant number…eliminated for killing… instructed not to kill."_

_My eyesight blurred over, and then there was darkness. And after that…_

* * *

I bolted upright once more, cold sweat beading upon my forehead. My breathing had become ragged and irregular, and my mind was racing. Calm down, I told myself, It's just a dream.

The exact same dream I had been having since losing my memories.

I groaned and rubbed my eyes, pushing my long silver fringe behind my ears and that previous thought to the back of my mind before looking around. Where was I again?

Ah, right. The 287th Hunter Exam.

With nothing else to do without my memories, I had figured that becoming a Hunter would definitely help. Apparently Hunters could access basically all information in the entire world, and get away with going on public transport for free. I smiled sheepishly at the memory of a certain incident that had occurred the previous day; an incident concerning a dog, a pair of screaming baby twins, and a very angry bus driver.

Slowly I got up from my sitting position, my back aching slightly for being supported by a hard, grey wall. At that moment, the lift to my right gave a sharp _PING! _As five more applicants strolled in: a tall, (old) man with a briefcase and round glasses, a blonde man with twin wooden batons, a kid with silver hair _(_'_Just like mine, I thought')_ and a short teen with spiky black hair and a… was that a fishing rod…? Interesting… said teen grinned as one of the examiners threw him and his friends their number badges.

405, it read. I'll have to remember that.

I looked down at my own badge, which read 241 in large, bold letters. Added up, the digits made seven. A lucky number… according to superstitions. Maybe this year I would be lucky? But then again, in my only memory, I was the exact same number.

A loud scream was heard over the tentative silence of the room; I turned and pushed through the crowd to get a closer look. As I finally managed to push past one of the closest people, my eyes were greeted with a sight that I could definitely do without.

Standing directly in front of me was a man that actually resembled a joker. His reddish-purple hair was gelled back, and he wore a rather… strange, so to say, outfit. On his face was a tattoo of a tear and a star. His face was radiating with obvious delight as he savored the sight on front of him.

A man was kneeling in front of the Joker, pure shock written all over his face. My eyes widened as I saw what was so shocking; his arms.

Or, what used to be his arms.

His arms were disintegrating, dissolving into flower petals as everyone else looked on in horror. The Joker spoke:

"Next time when you bump into somebody, apologize. It's only polite." He said with a huge smirk imprinted on his face.

I shuddered and turned away from the horrifying sight and pushed back into the crowd to return to my previous position. On the way, I heard a few Hunter applicants muttering to each other.

"That's number 44, Hisoka! He did the Hunter Exam last year: everyone was so sure that he would become a Hunter," one murmured. "But after he attacked a Hunter Examiner and nearly killed him, he was disqualified, and came back this year!"

Must be true, since I saw him in my dream.

"Geez, why did he have to come back? I sure wouldn't want to run into him during the exam…" another replied as the crowd began to disperse.

Suddenly shrill bell sounded, causing nearly everyone to shout and clamp their hands to their ears. I turned, wincing, to the source of the noise.

A man with white hair and a moustache (No mouth, mind you. If he did have one it would've been visible) stood in front of all of the applicants; how he got there without capturing anybody's attention was beyond me.

"My name is Satotz, and I am the Hunter Examiner for the first part of the Hunter Exam." He introduced. "If you are having second thoughts about coming here and would like to drop out, now is the time to do so."

Nobody moved.

"OK, great! Now, let the Hunter Exam begin! Now, if you please, follow me…" With those words, Satotz turned and began, much to the applicants' surprise, striding confidently into the dark tunnel behind him. Everyone started to walk… faster… and faster… until finally they started to run. Not wanting to get left behind, I started to run as well. However, I was stopped by a voice.

"Hey, I'm Gon. What's your name?" I turned to my right and was greeted with the sight of the spiky-haired teen I had seen earlier, followed closely by his friends. I stared at him shocked, for two reasons:

It's smart not to randomly go up to strangers and say 'hi,' and

This guy seemed a little familiar.

"Hey, are you okay?" Gon asked, waving his hands in front of my face. Without realizing it, I had spaced out. I forced a smile and replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm Rae, nice to meet you."

With these words, I turned to Gon's friends, who introduced themselves as Leorio, Kurapika and Killua. I turned and started to run once more, but didn't miss how oddly Killua was acting around me. When he saw me watching him, I just gave him a small smile before turning and concentrating on my pace.

The main pack was starting to draw further and further away, so I called for my new friends to hurry up and ran faster to catch up with the other applicants.

* * *

Finally, after hours of restless running, I spied a dim light at the top of the staircase which grew brighter and brighter as I approached. The other applicants noticed it too, and shouts of triumph and relief could be heard echoing throughout the depths of the tunnel. Gon and Killua were racing ahead, having made a bet on who would reach the end first; however, both stepped out into the open at the same time. Straight after that they started bickering about who would buy who lunch, when finally Gon made a suggestion;

"Ne, Killua! How about I buy you lunch and then you buy me lunch?"

"That doesn't make any sense, Gon," Killua sweat-dropped.

Right after Killua said this, I reached the last step and bent over, panting heavily and looking around. Quite a large number of applicants had dropped out in the tunnel, making me wonder just where they went. Would they stay there and starve? Or would somebody come back for all of them?

Shuddering, I turned, and stared at the sight before me.

Everywhere I looked, there was mud. Occasionally a small animal would poke its head out of the earth, look around, and burrow back in the ground. I began to wonder just how the hell they could survive under there.

Suddenly, the tunnel we came from made a strange rumbling noise. Alarmed, I turned back, but relaxed somewhat when a wall was lowered down, covering the entrance. A man who had just finished scaling the steps and appeared unable to walk anymore reached out a hand and began to yell for help.

"Please! Wait for me! Wait! STOP!"

His voice became muffled as the wall slid completely down. I stared at the blank, white wall, feeling sorry for the poor examinee who had come so far, only to miss out on the last second.

Satotz, appearing unperturbed, turned around and said, "Welcome to the Swindlers' Swamp. It is a swamp filled with carnivorous, man-eating animals. Don't ever let your guard down, or the animals residing here will take that opportunity and kill you. Now, let's get moving, shall we?" With that, he turned and began to walk straight into the muddy area.

_Oh, no, not another marathon… _

"WAIT!"

Everyone turned their heads to look behind them. A man, bleeding from several wounds, stumbled into plain sight from behind the walls of the tunnel. His clothes were torn and his breathing was ragged. He lifted a finger to point at Satotz.

"He's an imposter! I'm the REAL Hunter Examiner!"

At this, everybody turned to look at each other, confused. Wasn't Satotz the guy that brought them all here in the first place? If he really was an imposter, then why hadn't he already attacked everyone?

"I'm the real Hunter Examiner!" the stranger repeated loudly. Upon seeing the look of disbelief painted on everyone's faces, the stranger threw something on the ground.

On closer inspection, it was confirmed to be some kind of weird-looking monkey.

"These monkeys can take on the facial appearance of any human they want! Since their limbs are lean and weak, they have to resort to trickery to catch their prey. Before the exam began, this guy attacked me and tried to kill me! He's luring you into the swamp so that he and the other carnivorous animals can feast on your flesh!"

The Hunter applicants began to murmur to each other, apparently not sure who to believe.

Finally, Leorio spoke up. "If you're the real Hunter Examiner, then show us your license! That would prove that you really are a Hunter."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Some even gained the confidence to shout, "Come on! Show us your license! Prove to us that you're a Hunter!"

The stranger shook his head. "That monster stole everything from me when he attacked me. He took my clothes and my license!"

Some people began to shout in protest. Only the smart ones like Hisoka, Killua, Kurapika, Gon and I were keeping calm. Truthfully, I didn't really care whether or not this guy was a fake; if I failed, I would just come back next year. Twelve months wouldn't make a difference. And besides, if we were attacked, those weak monkeys wouldn't be able to take on all of us.

Suddenly, a low chuckle sounded from right behind me. I jumped and turned, finding myself face to face with… Hisoka.

Remembering the rumors about him from last year's examinees, I hurriedly backed off and melded myself in the crowd. Hisoka just gave me a wide smile and a wink before stepping out in front of the stranger and, in one swift movement, shot out four playing cards.

The stranger's eyes widened; before he could react, the cards pierced his body and he fell in a crumpled heap on the ground. The other examinees looked on in horror as Hisoka turned to Satotz.

"You're the real one." he said, pointing a finger at the Hunter Examiner.

Satotz raised an eyebrow. "How could you tell?"

"Easy. A Hunter would have easily been able to block or dodge that attack in time." Hisoka explained. "Besides, that monster had no real proof that he was the real Examiner."

Satotz nodded with approval. "Here in the Swindler's Swamp, there are many animals just waiting to jump out once you have fallen into their traps. This one," he said, gesturing towards the stranger, "has the ability to imitate the appearance of a human being. It pretends to be a human, and lures you to where its friends are hiding."

I looked at the stranger in horror as his face and body began to distort. Then, lying before us was some kind of strange specie of monkey.

"It lures you into a trap because its limbs are particularly skinny and weak," Satotz explained, referring to the monkeys arms. "You never know who or what to trust in this Swamp. Now, if you please, follow me." With that, he began striding towards the swamp and into the mud. The examinees all groaned and protested, but their complaints fell on deaf ears. Grudgingly, everyone followed.

* * *

**_Words: 2,115_**

**Please R&R!**


	2. Chapter 2: RE: Familiarity

**CHAPTER 2 REVISED: Familiarity**

* * *

This time, I decided to run ahead and leave my new friends behind. Not exactly nice of me, but it would be easier for the monsters to trap us if we move in larger numbers. I followed Satotz intently, not wanting to be left behind and lost in the fog.

However, this time running wasn't so easy; the mud was thick and squelched loudly when you stepped in it, making my footsteps drag out slowly. To my dismay, I began to lose sight of Satotz. I tried desperately to keep running forwards, but despite my efforts, his figure was soon engulfed completely in the fog.

Frustrated that I had gotten myself lost in less than ten minutes, I stopped to take a breath and looked around me. I was completely surrounded by mist, and all was silent. It seemed that it would be harder to navigate through the swamp than I originally anticipated.

Suddenly, a sound broke the eerie silence. A scream, shrill and intense, reached my ears, followed by many more. I stiffened, listening for Gon, Killua, Kurapika or Leorio's screams. Soon the yells for help died out, and I let out a sigh of relief. Thank god. They hadn't been caught.

Yet.

But, instead of panicking, I just stood there calmly, contemplating my next move. If I wanted to pass, which of course I did, then I had better keep on running until I ran into someone. Surely I would eventually run out of the fog if I kept on going straight. With this in mind, I resumed by pace and kept on going.

After an hour or so, two shadowy figures emerged from the fog ahead and into full view. _The Amori Brothers; or two of them, at least, _I thought. I fell into a stance, expecting them to attack me, but was surprised when they completely ignored me.

"Come on, aniki! We're almost at the voice!" the younger one of them called to his mate. The voice? What was he talking about?

Once again I stopped in my tracks and listened intently. For a moment, all I could hear were the anguished cries of perishing examinees, but then I too heard a voice.

"Come on, this way to the next exam site!" Satotz was calling. I frowned, confused. I thought that Satotz was making this deliberately hard for us, so why was he calling to us? Still, this could be my only chance, so I followed the retreating figures. I only ran for a minute or so when one of the pair yelled and they halted abruptly.

I peered closer, and saw the reason why the Amori Brothers had stopped. The ground had completely broken off, and in its place was a large pit with sharp, steel spikes protruding from the bottom. I could see already twenty applicants below impaled by the spikes.

Shuddering, I turned and set off in the opposite direction before the brothers realized I was there.

This time, I had run for around ten minutes when I stopped yet again. Squinting in front of me, I could see a tall figure walking calmly through the fog towards me. When he walked out of the cloud of mist in front of me, I got a good look at his joker-like appearance.

My blood ran cold in my body. Out of all the people that had survived, the one that came to me just had to be Hisoka. Seeing the terror imprinted on my face, he didn't even smirk; he just drew a card.

Ah, shit. He was going to kill me.

I fell into a defensive stance and fingered the sword strapped onto my back. Truthfully, since I had lost my memories, I had never unsheathed the blade before. But now my situation was desperate. I was just about to fully unsheathe my sword when Hisoka spoke.

"Ooh, Chizuku-chan," he murmured, "You're alive and well."

What. The. Hell.

Upon seeing my shocked expression, his usual smirk fell into place. "Are you going to stop pretending now?"

Silence.

His smirk widened. "You don't remember anything, do you?"

"How'd you-"

Hisoka chuckled. "Well, he must have pushed you real hard…" With that, he turned away and headed back into the mist.

Snapping out of my trance, I ran forwards. "Oi, wait! Hisoka!" Desperation clawed my chest as I called out to him. Geez, who would've known that I'd need his help one day? But I needed an answer; what if he knew about my past? What if this Chizuku person was really… me?

Driven by anxiety, I even steeled myself and yelled, "Oi, you retarded joker! Get back here!"

I would've sworn that I heard a small chuckle come from the vague direction of which he disappeared off to, but he didn't come back.

I groaned loudly with frustration and continued on my way. I couldn't afford to lose any more time after that little episode, and I would just wait until after the first phase. That is, if I passed… and he passed too.

I pushed that thought aside. Of course he could pass. He was plenty strong, and could think for himself. Maybe he really was a past acquaintance?

_No, _I told myself, _it isn't likely. In fact, its near impossible that I already know him. After all, what are the odds of having the same occupation or just running into him on the street?_

Reassured by that thought, I pushed that strange meeting into the back of my mind and kept running.

…

After a few more hours of running aimlessly, I coincidentally ran into a small area where the fog wasn't as thick. All thanks goes to my luck. Becoming more motivated to complete this phase, I ran forwards faster and faster until finally I burst out into a large clearing. By then, my legs were killing me and my heart was racing at least one thousand beats per minute. My breaths were ragged and labored, so I stumbled over to a nearby tree to lean against before surveying my surroundings.

Barely a hundred out of the first 404 (excluding the guy whose arms were destroyed by Hisoka, the creep) survived the first phase. Speaking of the devil, Hisoka was nowhere to be found, but Gon, Kurapika and Leorio were standing in a group. As I approached them, Killua emerged from the bushes and joined them.

As his face turned towards Gon, I spotted a drop of blood splattered on his neck.

Ignoring this, I grinned at the group and was about to speak when a voice spoke up.

"Congratulations to the 148 of you who have managed to get out of the marshes alive and well! You are now in Biska Woods, the place where the second phase will take place." said Satotz. "And on that note, I wish you luck for the next part of your trials." With that, he walked off into the bushes and disappeared.

Gon turned and saw me walking towards them. "Hey guys!" I grinned. "Why is everyone staying outside the hanger?"

"We're not allowed in yet," Killua replied. "Did you guys use some special ability or something to get here? I thought that I would never see you again!"

_After Gon's explanation…_

"WHAT?! You followed the scent of Leorio's aftershave?!" Killua gawped. Gon just scratched his head and grinned.

_A dog, it must be a dog… _I thought, smiling playfully.

"So… why can't we get in?" I asked.

"It's locked. All we can hear are some weird groaning noises." Killua replied. Just as he said this, a loud voice called from inside; "The second phase of the Hunter Exam will commence at noon today."

I turned to my friends. "Let's just wait here for now."

_At noon that day…_

Finally, after a few hours of tension-filled waiting, the groaning doors swung open. Inside sat a large-no, huge- man and a slim pink-haired woman sitting on a small couch in front of him.

**Silence.**

Finally, the woman spoke up. "So, you guys hungry?"

"You bet; I'm starving!" the man behind her gushed loudly.

"Therefore, the second phase of the Hunter Exam will be… cooking! We are both fine gourmet hunters; thus your mission will be to satisfy our appetites by cooking us a meal!"

I glanced around, dumbstruck. The hell? Cooking?!

"You'll start by cooking the plates I ask you for…" The man began, "And then those who are qualified will have to satisfy me!" The woman finished. "You will be qualified for the third phase if you hear us say 'It's good', and the test will end once we are full."

Leorio sighed. "Are you serious? I've never cooked before!"

"I never thought that there would be such a test..." Kurapika agreed.

"Ok then," the fat man said, "I would like you to get me… Roast Pork!"

Upon seeing everyone's dumbstruck faces, he added, "It's my favourite."

_No shit… it's going to be pretty hard to find any kind of pig in the forest! But still, he looks like he can eat a lot. The woman however… she seems really slim. It will be harder to satisfy her._

"I don't mind what kind of pork you get me, as long as you find it in the Biska Forest." The man continued.

I looked around at the other applicants. It looked like they thought the task was easy enough.

"Let the second phase of the Hunter Exam… BEGIN!"

With these words, everyone set off and ran out of the hanger to find some kind of pork in the Biska Forest.

I followed the pack calmly. Despite the simplicity of the order, I knew that it would be extremely hard to find pork in the forest; might as well take my time. Just as I was about to leave, I overheard the Hunter Examiners talking. I stopped to listen.

"Hmm, it doesn't matter what kind of pork…? You're not very nice either Buhara… In Biska Forest, there is only one kind of pork!" the woman was saying.

Buhara just grinned smugly.

With this in mind, I ran out of the forest in search of the animal that would get me through to the third phase.

…..

Around half an hour later I ran back, carrying a large Great Stamp upon my shoulders. Once you learned that its weakness was its forehead, killing and cooking it was easy. Thundering behind me were the other applicants. Picking up my pace, I kept running until I reached the fat man: Buhara, he said his name was, and threw the oversized pig on the floor.

Buhara licked his huge lips and dug in. I jumped out of the way as the other applicants also dumped their pigs in front him. My eyes widened as the pile of roasted pigs grew larger and larger.

_Surely he can't eat all of that… can he?_

I looked on in awe as Buhara stomached mine… and then the next… and the next… and the next! After only a few minutes, around seventy pork rib cages were dunked in a pile beside him. He gave a loud burp and help up an 'okay' sign.

"Delicious! I'm full now!" Buhara yelled enthusiastically. With these words, Menchi struck a large gong.

Around me, many were murmuring things like, 'He's a monster!' and 'He ate seventy pieces of roast pork!'

I just stared. _He ate nearly twice of his freakin' size! What the hell is he?_

Gon murmured, "Wow, these hunters are incredible!"

"Doesn't really make me want to be like them, though…" Killua mumbled to himself.

Meanwhile, Menchi was scolding Buhara: "All you ate was good?! This way it isn't even a test anymore!"

"But still, we eliminated a lot of applicants, didn't we?" Buhara protested. "Anyway, we're not here to judge the taste today!"

Menchi frowned. "You're too nice! Remember, Gourmet Hunters must respect the sense of taste! Alright, what's done is done…" She cleared her throat.

"Roast Pork Test: 70 qualify for the next round!"

Menchi grinned. "I'm warning you, this one will be harder. I'm very cautious when it comes to taste!"

* * *

**_Words: 2,080_**

**_Please R&R!_**


	3. Chapter 3: RE: Boiled Eggs

**_CHAPTER 3:REVISED: Boiled Eggs_**

* * *

Menchi asked us to make sushi, a food that nobody (except for Hanzo, the ninja, who was obviously trying to be inconspicuous. He was failing miserably). I began to look back onto all of the strange things that had occurred during the exam so far as I absent-mindedly pressed the rice into a ball. Killua staring at me oddly, Hisoka apparently mistaking me for someone else, and now the creepy guy with a purple Mohawk and needles sticking out of his body. Without even looking back, I could literally see his eyes bearing onto my back.

I looked back and caught his eye; he just chuckled (It sounded a lot like a rattle), and turned away to focus on his sushi making.

Meanwhile, everyone was trying to figure out just what the hell this 'sushi' was. Kurapika had already deduced from the knives that it was most likely a round-shaped food. I watched with faint amusement as Hanzo sauntered up to Menchi and presented his sushi. After having received so many strange-looking dishes, she nodded in approval and took a bite.

Apparently it tasted disgusting.

Menchi scowled and told Hanzo to re-make the sushi. He began to protest and in the process accidentally let slip the entire recipe. Within seconds the kitchen was deserted and everyone was rushing off to fish at the lake. I just smiled and followed.

_Later…._

"That's it; I'm full! Not one of you managed to give me a satisfactory dish! You all fail!" Menchi announced hotly.

I frowned; were the examiners really allowed to do this? After all, if none of us became Gourmet Hunters then what was the point of getting eliminated on a cooking stage?

Meanwhile, Gon had run up to Menchi and began to complain about not being able to become a Hunter. Menchi just replied, "Okay, I feel sorry for you. But look, the right to decide who passes or fails belongs to me, the proctor. Got that, kid?"

"That's why all you have to say is, "I will re-administer the test!" Gon exclaimed.

"No means no! This year's test is over!" she pointed to everybody else. "You guys too, hurry up and go home!"

Everyone began to murmur to each other, but fell silent once a loud banging was heard.

I turned towards the noise. Standing in front of a broken table was a very large man whose number plate read: '225.'

"I can't accept that." He shouted. "I can't just say, 'Alright, I'll go home!'"

"That's Number 225. The wrestler Todo." I heard Kurapika murmur to my right.

"I've already had enough from this boy. I don't need it from you." Menchi snapped back, pointing towards Gon.

"What…?"

"Look, why don't you just try again next year?" Menchi sighed.

"Don't give me that crap! I'm aiming to become a Hunter, not just some gourmet! My goal is to become a Blacklist Hunter; I refuse to be judged by a mere cook!" Todo exclaimed.

"A mere gourmet Hunter, you say?" Menchi asked, her voice dangerously low.

"That's right. How can you call yourself a Hunter if all you do is eat fine food and lay back? I'd never acknowledge someone like that as a Hunter. I bet the others here won't accept your judgement so meekly either."

Buhara stepped forwards, raising his hands towards Todo. Todo flinched away as Buhara looked down on him from his great height.

"Step back, Buhara. I can handle my own business, you know," Menchi told him. She stood up and unsheathed her knives. "Okay then, Number 225, I'll show you what being a Gourmet Hunter is really about. Give me an hour, will you?" She stepped outside, took a deep breath and disappeared. I gaped at the small dent in the earth on which Menchi was just standing on.

While waiting for the proctor to come back, I walked over to a nearby wall and began to nap.

* * *

An hour later, Menchi returned with a small jar of green stuff in her hand. When everybody inquired what it was, she replied that it was a special kind of moss from the horn of the Big Horn Bear. "It's only found in the Lauru Mountains beyond the Milsy Wetlands, or the Swindlers' Swamp," she announced proudly. "It's not an ordinary moss. When minced finely and sprinkled over rice, the flavor is exquisite!" With these words, she minced the moss and sprinkled over a plate of rice before offering it to Todo.

However, Todo took this as an insult and began to rattle on about how he would never eat moss.

"Hey wait a minute," Leorio exclaimed. "She claims that she got it by going beyond that swamp where almost half of the applicants dropped out! And within an hour without gaining a single scratch on her body!"

"She's quite good," Killua acknowledged.

Mechi turned to face Todo. "Do you have a better opinion of Gourmet Hunters now?"

Fuming, Todo kicked the table, shattering it and making Menchi dive for the precious moss. He said that he didn't care about how good food tasted, as long as I was enough to fill his stomach. Menchi replied by saying that he was a hopeless idiot.

"What did you say?"

"We're not just going to stand by and accept your decision to eliminate us like that either!" Several others exclaimed. With these words, they all ran forwards and charged at the pink-haired proctor.

But before they could reach her, they were batted away by Buhara. Todo managed to succeed in lifting Buhara and slamming him into the wall, but the blow barely scratched him.

"You're quite strong," Buhara said, pulling himself out of the gaping hole in the wall. "Maybe I'll bet a little more serious…"

Menchi stepped in front of him before he could do anything, though, and she proceeded to attack Todo. She effectively dodged all of his strikes and proceeded to kick him away.

"You're aspiring to become a Blacklist Hunter with this abitily?! Don't make me laugh! All Hunters need to be good at fighting to be successful, whether you like it or not!"

But before she could do anything else, Satotz unexpectedly stepped in. She began to argue with him when he said that nobody dared to doubt her ability, and said that it wasn't his business and that she had no intention of changing the exam results. She claimed that in the test what she was looking for was not strength, but if we had the guts to confront something we knew nothing about.

Suddenly, a loud voice interrupted. "But still, Menchi-kun, don't you think that it's too harsh that nobody passed?"

Surprised, everybody turned to look outside for the voice, but when they saw nothing dashed out of the hanger.

Outside was a large aircraft, with the Hunter Association's emblem imprinted onto its side.

"It's the exam committee!" someone behind me exclaimed.

Then, to everyone's shock, an orange-clad figure leapt out from one of the windows and landed in front of us. The figure turned out to be an old man who was wearing orange clothes and wooden clogs. _How the hell did he manage to land unharmed? _I wondered.

The old man turned out to be the Chairman of the Hunter Committee, Netero. He discussed the situation with Menchi and she eventually agreed to conduct another exam.

"However, in this test, I would like you to participate by giving a demonstration. That will make it easier for the examinees to accept your judgement." Netero said. "Now, what will the next test be?"

Smiling, Menchi replied, "A boiled egg!"

I grinned. A boiled egg. Didn't really seem that difficult.

"Kaichou (Chairman), can you please take us to that mountain?" Menchi asked, pointing to a mountain in the distance.

Netero smiled. "That can easily be arranged."

Soon we were all aboard the aircraft and flying towards the mountain.

* * *

After getting plenty of sleep (much to Tonpa's dismay), I walked over to where Gon and Killua were at the window ledge. Neither seemed to be able to sleep much. We chatted idly for a while, and Gon asked to see my katana since I had never actually drawn it in his presence. I carefully unsheathed the blade and handed it to a wonder-struck Gon.

The sheathe was black, with white swirls crawling up to the hilt. The hilt was decorated similarly, except the swirls were a deep crimson. A rune was carved meticulously into the blade; I had examined it as closely as possible, but I didn't know what it read. Naturally, when Gon asked about it, I couldn't answer.

After taking back my blade and watching the city lights flicker like stars in the midnight sky, Killua suddenly frowned and walked off with Gon following curiously behind him. I left them to their own devices and quietly stepped back to my room.

Late that night, just as I was nodding off, Killua slinked silently into the room, a dangerous aura radiating off him in waves. Seeing the need to stay quiet if I wanted to keep my life, I closed my eyes and slowed my breathing, pretending that nothing had just occurred.

But what I couldn't see through my closed eyes was the gaze fixated upon my resting figure.

* * *

The next morning, an announcement was made by the Chairman, Netero.

_The re-do of the second phase will be commencing in 30 minutes. Please alight the aircraft._

I yawned and stretched, refreshed after a good night's sleep (much to Tonpa's dismay). I pushed the thoughts of Killua from last night into the back of my mind and strolled out of the room behind Leorio and Kurapika.

Soon, after about 20 minutes, everyone was assembled outside the aircraft. Only around 15 metres in front of us was a huge, gaping crevasse.

Oh, no. Surely not.

"Alright, then!" Menchi announced. "This is where the re-taking of the second phase will take place. This is the habitat of the Spider Eagle. They live on webs in the crevasse and hang their eggs there. Now, what you have to do is simple; retrieve a Spider Eagle's egg and boil it to perfection!"

The she confirmed what everyone had been dreading.

"All you have to do it jump down and retrieve the egg; like this!" With these words, she unexpectedly ran over to the edge of the crevasse and jumped down.

Shocked, all the remaining applicants rushed over to the edge and peered down. And there was Menchi, swinging expertly from web to web, retrieving an egg on the way. Suddenly she stopped and hung there for a moment before completely loosening her hold in the web and plunging down.

However, she didn't fall into the bottom of the crevasse; in fact, she sailed straight back upwards! Some backed away as Menchi landed gracefully on the ground.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before any words could leave her mouth, Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio and I were already jumping off the edge, grins plastered on five faces. I dove for the nearest egg and grasped the strand hanging just below it. Reaching up, I grabbed the creamy egg in both hands. I grabbed onto the two nearest web strands and waited for the wind draft, when suddenly I felt the web sag.

Turning around, I watched in dismay as most of the other applicants jumped down into the crevasse and the web began to sag even more under our combined weight. Some began to panic and instinctively let go of the web. I watched worriedly as they fell to their deaths in the river below.

Thankfully, Menchi decided that we needed help and shouted; "You have to wait for the wind draft! It's what the Spider Eagles use to get out; it should come every once in a while!"

Upon hearing this, some of the stupid examinees who thought that this meant they could let go of the web whenever they liked and get carried back up fell to their deaths in the river below.

A few others panicked as once again the web sagged and they slackened their grip, falling to their deaths in the river below.

When a slight breeze picked up, a few other examinees whooped and let go, falling to their deaths in the river below.

I sighed as more examinees let go and fell to their deaths in the river below.

Today was going to be a long day.

Finally, after a minute or so, Gon lifted his nose and sniffed tentatively. "The draft is going to come soon!"

Everybody waited in anticipation as Gon once again sniffed the air.

"Three, two, one…. Now!"

Deciding to trust Gon's judgment (because his instincts were astonishingly accurate), I closed my eyes and let myself fall into the gaping canyon below.

Luckily, though, Gon's instincts were correct (thank god), and we all drifted upwards towards the edge where we once again met the Hunter Examiners and the examinees that were too afraid to jump down.

After that, Menchi made us boil the eggs we had recovered and gave us each a small net before leading us to a large pot. Inside the pot was boiling water. Menchi told us to boil the eggs in the water and pull them out with the nets once they were ready.

Nobody really knew how long to cook these mysterious eggs for, but we all scooped them out once we saw Buhara's mouth start to water.

I raised the boiled egg to my mouth and bit into it. Surprisingly, it tasted really good! It nearly made the whole thing seem worth it. Out of the corner or my eye, I saw Gon offer half of his egg to Todo, who was too afraid to jump.

"42 of the original applicants have passed Phase Two! Menchi's Menu is over!" Menchi announced.

* * *

**_Words: 2,311_**

**_Please R&R!_**


	4. Chapter 4: Trick Tower

**CHAPTER 4: Trick Tower**

After finally alighting the aircraft, a short, plump man informed us that the tower we were standing on was going to be the test site for Phase Three.

"The task in this test is very simple: reach the bottom of this tower alive. The time limit is 72 hours! Okay, start!" he exclaimed.

I walked over to the edge of the tower and peered down. Nup, I'm not going to climb that. There was around a hundred metre drop from where I was standing: nobody would be able to jump down and survive.

"What should we do?" Gon inquired.

"Well, there are no windows on the sides, only a wall." Kurapika ventured.

"Yes, it would be suicide to climb down that," I muttered.

"Yes, if you're an ordinary man." I turned to look behind me and saw a slightly bulky and muscular man. "But if you're a professional rock climber," he continued, "It's not difficult to climb down with this many footholds." With these words, he carefully lowered himself over the edge and planted his foot on the nearest crack. After only a minute or so, he was already a quarter of the way down.

"Wow, awesome!" Killua breathed. "He's already pretty far down!"

Yeah, good luck not falling, I thought.

"Just watching him makes my butt reel weird." Leorio muttered. I rolled my eyes at that statement and wandered off.

Looking around, I realized that many examinees were missing. Maybe they had found a way to get into the tower? Just as I was pondering this idea, a loud screech sounded from the horizon. A figure loomed in the distance; on closer inspection it turned out to be a very large, dangerous bird with a human face; except that it's teeth were long and incredibly sharp.

Thinking that it was heading towards the examinees that still hadn't found their way into the tower, I yelled, "Everyone, look out!" I took a step towards where my five friends were standing, when suddenly the floor collapsed and I plunged, paralyzed with shock, into the darkness.

* * *

I landed ungracefully on my butt with a loud _THUMP!_ Wincing, I grabbed my katana to make sure that it was still there before getting up and peering upwards.

There was a small rectangular-shaped hole in the roof, just large enough for somebody to easily fall in. A blinding light streamed through the hole into the dark room that I was sitting in. The walls were lined with flaming torches, and positioned directly in front of me was a large sign nailed into the wall. Leaning towards it, I began to read.

_Welcome to Trick Tower, _it read. _The two of you will have to make it down to the bottom of the tower within the 72 hour time limit. The doors will not open until both of you have arrived._

I frowned. The two of us? And the doors? I turned in a circle and saw that, on both sides of my body, there was a door. The one to my left was busted open, and was hanging from the wooden door frame.

_Both of you must agree on which door you would like to enter. The doors will only open if both of you agree on the same door._

Well, the choice for me had already been made.

Not bothering to read the second half of the sign, I turned to my left and walked nervously to the gaping hole. 'Everybody else must have also fallen into different trapdoors,' I told myself as I stepped into the hole. It lead to a dark passageway, again lined with torches. I reached the end and absent-mindedly pulled open the door that stood in front of me. 'The trapdoors explain how the other examinees disappeared without leaving any clues. I wonder where Gon and the others-'

I stopped. My eyes widened. My heart stopped. And I screamed.

The white walls of the room were covered with smears of blood, and in front of me lay two bodies; a dark-haired man and a blonde woman. Not caring whether or not they were enemies at this point, I rushed over to them and turned them over.

Each body had a playing card protruding from their chests, and their shirts were soaked with blood.

Hisoka.

I touched the cloth, and some of the red stain smeared onto my fingers. They had been killed recently. Maybe half an hour or so before?

Shakily, I stood up and looked straight in front of me, where another door was standing. The knob was smeared with blood. I stepped carefully over the bodies and walked towards it. I reached out my hand and turned the knob; some blood smeared onto my hand. I wiped it, disgusted, against the nearest wall. The door swung open soundlessly, revealing a long, winding staircase which spiralled downwards. One of the first things that I noticed was an arrow pointing forwards. It was painted in blood.

I groaned and took the steps downwards. Was that damned joker purposely making this easy for me?

After a few minutes, the staircase split into a fork. I took the one to the right, since there was a bloody arrow pointing in that direction.

Soon, it split once again, and I just kept following the bloody arrows. Simple, huh?

Finally, after ten breaks, a nap, twenty-eight forks and who-knows-how-long, I finally came to a doorway. The light was blinding, since I had been walking on in almost complete darkness for hours, but I still charged straight outside, determined to finish the test on time since I had no idea how much time had passed.

As soon as my eyes adjusted, I stopped and looked around. I was standing in a small circular room which was (unlike the one I had just been in) very well-lit.

Someone chuckled from my right: I turned and saw Hisoka and the creepy needle guy playing cards. Hisoka turned to me, smirked, and resumed his card game. Hanzo (I had dubbed him the 'sushi ninja') was sitting against a wall, meditating.

I would confront Hisoka later, when nobody else was around.

I yawned, stretched and settled against a wall before falling asleep.

* * *

I woke suddenly to a strange clattering sound.

"He's here," I heard Hisoka murmur.

I groaned and opened an eye just in time to see Gon, Killua, Leorio, Tonpa (damn) and Kurapika shoot through the tunnel on… a cart made from a skateboard and a myriad of weapons? Unusual. I turned towards the digital clock set in a corner; there was less than thirty seconds left. I smiled. Those guys had extraordinary luck.

Leorio and Tonpa were giggling about something behind their hands. I sweat-dropped. _They've finally lost it._

Finally, after seventy-two long hours, we were allowed outside. The sunshine beat its benevolent rays upon the land, and I sighed happily at the comforting warmth. It was sunset, and the horizon was painted a rich orange. The sight was more than welcomed to my eyes after seeing only blood, empty rooms, dimly lit corridors and bloody arrows. I sure was glad that I was alive.

"Gentlemen," I flinched, and glared in the direction of the voice, "Congratulations on making it out of Trick Tower alive. I am a Black List Hunter and the Third Phase Proctor, Lippo." A man with black hair and a Mohawk said. "Now, you gentlemen are going to get on this."

With those words, Lippo snapped his fingers. A few seconds later, a large- no, huge- aircraft began to fly upwards from underneath the cliff that we were standing on. A few gasped in awe at the sheer size of it.

Leorio groaned. "We're going to be taken to the next Exam place already?"

I just smiled. Ah well, might as well get this over and done with. No point putting it off. I hadn't gained any injuries from Trick Tower anyway, thanks to Hisoka.

Speaking of the joker…

I turned around and surveyed the crowd of only twenty or thirty, but didn't seem to be able to spot Hisoka. I shrugged. I'll confront him later. Then it hit me. We're just about to start the Fourth Phase! I only have this one and possibly one more phase to confront him, and whenever he wasn't with somebody he seemed to disappear! At this rate, I would never be able to ask him about anything…

"I'm going to find Hisoka before the last phase," I decided aloud, speaking more to myself than anybody else as I stepped aboard the aircraft.

* * *

**Words: 1, 427**

**_A/N: _****Okay, so this chapter was really short, but I just felt like I had to update soon since I haven't had that much time to write lately. As always, please R&R!**

**~SofiaChanson**


End file.
